REPORT OF THE SURVEYOR GENERAL.
Section VIII of Ordinance 8 of 1856 requires that every dwelling house should have a proper cooking place. The structures in question are, by their design, "dwelling houses," and I therefore told Mr WILSON that, without in any way doubting the truth of his assertion as to the tenants going to the restaurant to dine, or their intention to have their meals brought in cooked, I felt bound to ask him to comply with the law and provide kitchens.
Succeeding tenants might not care to have their provisions brought in cooked, and they would then be driven to light fires anywhere in the rooms, to their own discomfort from the smoke and possibly to the danger of the premises and the surrounding houses. One of the greatest safeguards against serious fires lies in the provision of a safe cooking place and flue in every tenement, and I therefore think we should see that this excellent requirement of the law is adhered to by all builders.
J. M. PRICE,
Surveyor General
20th January, 1879.
MINUTE BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR.
Prima facie, Mr. PRICE's opinion seems to be a sound one. Perhaps Dr. EITEL can take an opportunity of ascertaining from the leading Chinese their views also on this point.
23rd January, 1879.
MINUTE BY ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY.
Forwarded to Dr. EITEL.
J. POPE HENNESSY.
23rd January, 1879.
C. MAY, Acting Colonial Secretary
OPINIONS OF LEADING CHINESE.
I consulted the leading merchants of the Nám-pak-hong Guild on the subject. They are of opinion that in Section VIII of Ordinance 8 of 1856 we have a very good and useful rule, viz., that in all buildings which are used or liable to be used, either partly or entirely, as dwelling houses, there should be safe cooking places. With reference to the arguments adduced in Messrs. WILSON and SALWAY'S letter, they are of opinion that, although the owner of the premises may wish his tenants' employés to obtain their food from cook-shops, there is no certainty that they would always do so. On the contrary, they are of opinion that the employés on the premises would be certain to boil, at any rate, their tea on the premises, and boil water every evening for bathing, the consequence of which would be that the smoke would become a nuisance to the other tenants, and that the lighting of fire in unsafe places would endanger the whole house and the surrounding houses too.
1st February, 1879.
MINUTE BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR.
E. J. EITEL.
1. Acknowledge, and inform them that the provisions of the building Ordinance must be strictly enforced with respect to cooking places in every house.
2. To the Surveyor General to note.
MINUTE BY THE ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY. Letter to Messrs. WILSON & SALWAY, No. 125 of 4th February 1879.
J. POPE HENNESSY,
4th February, 1879
Forwarded for the information of the Honourable the Surveyor General.
C. MAY,
4th February, 1879.
MINUTE BY THE SURVEYOR GENERAL.
Noted.
4th February, 1879.
J. M. PRICE,
Surveyor General
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